Climate and Weather in Cyprus

Turkish Cyprus experiences a typical Mediterranean climate.  Summers, last from mid May till mid October, and are dry and hot.  In the summer, the subtropical high pressure zone controls the weather, preventing rainfall.   We generally have short and mild winters lasting from December to late February.  January and February are generally the coldest and wettest months, with about 60% of the average annual total precipitation falling in this period.

The average temperature for the island as a whole is about 20°C.  The average water temperature in Cyprus is 21°C.  Mean annual precipitation is 500mm.
Any variations in temperature and rainfall depend upon altitude and distance from the sea, as well as Climate Change.

Temperature:

Summer temperatures are high in the lowlands, even near the water.  The highest readings are on the Mesaoria plain.  The average daily temperature in July and August is about 29°C on the central plain, with a maximum of 38°C+ possible in these months.  The average temperature in January is 10°C on the central plain, and 5°C in the higher parts of the Besparmak Mountains.

Rainfall:

The higher mountain areas are wetter than the rest of the island.  The Besparmak (Pentadaktilos) range above Kyrenia sees about 550 millimetres of rainfall at an elevation of 1,000 metres.  The plains along the northern coast and on the Karpaz Peninsula area average approximately 400-450 millimetres of annual rainfall.  The least rainfall occurs on the Mesaoria Plain, about 300-400 millimetres per annum.

Humidity:

The Relative Humidity is between 60% and 80% in Winter, and between 40% and 60% in Summer.  Lower values are possible during the day. Fog is infrequent and visibility is usually good.

Winds:

Winds are generally light to moderate and variable in direction.  Strong winds sometimes occur, but gales are rare and are mainly confined to the exposed coastal areas as well as areas of high elevation.

Sunshine:

The island enjoys over 300 days of sunshine per year: almost 6 hours per day in Winter and up to 12 hours per day in Summer.  Sunshine is abundant particularly from April to September.  On the Mesaoria Plain in the east, for example, there is bright sunshine 75% of the time.